Beside vs Besides: Meaning and Usage

Introduction

Beside and besides differ by just one letter—a final "s"—yet they function quite differently in sentences. Beside is a preposition meaning "next to" or "at the side of," while besides works as both a preposition meaning "in addition to" and an adverb meaning "moreover" or "furthermore." The single letter "s" completely changes the meaning.

This pair causes confusion because the words look nearly identical and even share some overlapping historical usage. In older English, beside and besides were used more interchangeably. Modern usage, however, draws a clearer line between them. Understanding this distinction will make your writing more precise and help you avoid a common error.

This guide from dictionary.wiki provides everything you need to use these words confidently: definitions, examples, explanations of related idioms, and practical memory aids.

What Does Beside Mean?

Beside is a preposition that means "next to," "at the side of," or "alongside." It indicates physical proximity or position. Occasionally it is used figuratively, particularly in idioms like "beside oneself" and "beside the point."

Definitions

1. Next to or at the side of: "She sat beside me during the concert."
2. Compared with: "My problems seem small beside yours." (This usage is less common.)
3. Apart from (archaic/formal): "Beside the weather, there was nothing to complain about." (Modern usage prefers besides here.)

Etymology

Beside comes from Old English be sidan, meaning "by the side of." It has been used in English since before the twelfth century. The spatial meaning—being at the side of something—has remained its core sense throughout the centuries.

Examples of Beside

• "The dog lay beside the fireplace all evening."
• "He walked beside her through the park."
• "Place the lamp beside the bed."
• "The restaurant is located right beside the theater."
• "She stood beside the podium, waiting for her turn to speak."
• "The two houses sit beside each other on a quiet street."

What Does Besides Mean?

Besides functions as both a preposition and an adverb. As a preposition, it means "in addition to" or "apart from." As an adverb, it means "moreover," "furthermore," or "also."

As a Preposition (In Addition To)

1. "Besides English, she speaks French and Mandarin."
2. "Who else was at the meeting besides the manager?"
3. "Besides the cost, there are logistical issues to consider."

As an Adverb (Moreover / Furthermore)

1. "I don't want to go out tonight. Besides, it's raining."
2. "The hotel was overpriced. Besides, the location was inconvenient."
3. "She's not qualified for the role. Besides, she didn't even apply."

Etymology

Besides evolved from beside with the addition of the adverbial genitive "-s" suffix, common in English (compare "always," "sometimes," "afterwards"). This suffix shifted the meaning from spatial ("at the side of") to additive ("in addition to") and connective ("moreover").

Side-by-Side Comparison

Detailed Examples

Beside (Next To)

• "The children's playground is beside the school."
• "He kept the remote beside him on the couch."
• "I'd like to reserve the seat beside the window."
• "The path runs beside the river for about two miles."
• "She placed her briefcase beside the chair."

Besides (In Addition To)

• "Besides his day job, he runs a small tutoring business."
• "What other sports do you play besides basketball?"
• "Besides the obvious risks, there are also hidden costs."
• "No one besides the CEO has access to that file."
• "Besides being talented, she is also extremely hardworking."

Besides (Moreover)

• "The movie got terrible reviews. Besides, I've already seen it."
• "I'm too tired to cook. Besides, we have leftovers."
• "He won't agree to it. Besides, we don't need his permission."
• "The project is over budget. Besides, the timeline is unrealistic."

Tricky Contrast

Compare these two sentences:

• "She was sitting beside her sister." (She was next to her sister—physical position.)
• "Besides her sister, she invited three friends." (In addition to her sister, she invited others.)

The Idiom "Beside Oneself"

The phrase "beside oneself" is a common English idiom meaning to be overwhelmed with emotion—typically joy, anger, grief, or excitement. The image is of a person being so emotionally affected that they are figuratively "outside" themselves, unable to contain their feelings.

• "She was beside herself with excitement when she heard the news."
• "He was beside himself with grief after losing his pet."
• "The fans were beside themselves with joy when the team scored the winning goal."
• "She was beside herself with anger when she discovered the deception."

Note that this idiom always uses beside (without the "s"), not besides. This is one of the few non-spatial uses of beside that has survived into modern English.

The Idiom "Beside the Point"

Another common idiom, "beside the point", means irrelevant or unrelated to the main topic. It uses beside in its archaic sense of "away from" or "off to the side of."

• "Whether or not he intended to be rude is beside the point."
• "The cost is beside the point; what matters is the principle."
• "Your personal feelings about him are beside the point of this discussion."

Again, this idiom uses beside (no "s"). Writing "besides the point" is a common error. For more on tricky expressions and English grammar basics, explore our other guides.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using "Beside" When You Mean "In Addition To"

Incorrect: "Beside the main course, we ordered appetizers and dessert."
Correct: "Besides the main course, we ordered appetizers and dessert."

The sentence is about adding items, not physical placement. Use besides.

Mistake 2: Using "Besides" When You Mean "Next To"

Incorrect: "She parked her car besides mine."
Correct: "She parked her car beside mine."

The sentence describes physical position. Use beside.

Mistake 3: Writing "Besides the Point"

Incorrect: "That's totally besides the point."
Correct: "That's totally beside the point."

The established idiom is "beside the point" (no "s"). This is one of the most commonly written errors with this word pair, similar to confusions with your and you're.

Memory Tricks

The "S" = "Something More" Trick

The "s" in besides stands for "something more." When you're adding something to a list or introducing an additional point, you need the extra letter—besides. When you're simply describing a position next to something, no extra letter is needed—just beside.

The Substitution Test

• If you can replace the word with "next to", use beside.
• If you can replace it with "in addition to" or "moreover", use besides.

The Sentence Position Test

If the word appears at the beginning of a sentence followed by a comma ("Besides, I have other plans"), it's almost certainly besides functioning as an adverb meaning "moreover." The word beside rarely starts a sentence.

Quick Quiz

1. "The cat curled up _____ the radiator." → beside
2. "_____, it's too late to change the reservation." → Besides
3. "Who was at the party _____ you and Maria?" → besides
4. "He sat _____ the window on the train." → beside
5. "_____ chemistry, she is also studying biology." → Besides
6. "She was _____ herself with worry." → beside
7. "That's completely _____ the point." → beside
8. "I don't need anything _____ a glass of water." → besides

Summary

Beside means "next to" and describes spatial position (or appears in idioms like "beside the point" and "beside oneself"). Besides means "in addition to" (preposition) or "moreover" (adverb) and introduces extra information. The "s" in besides signals "something more." Use the substitution test—"next to" for beside, "in addition to" or "moreover" for besides—and you'll get it right every time.

For more commonly confused words, visit dictionary.wiki and check out our articles on then vs than and fewer vs less.